Heidi Klum and Seal have confirmed the end of their seven-year marriage in a joint statement.

Reports emerged on Saturday that the pair were to divorce amid claims the supermodel was fed up with her husband’s ‘hard partying’.

However, in an official statement this morning, the couple blamed their split on ‘growing apart’.

The statement read: ‘While we have enjoyed seven very loving, loyal and happy years of marriage, after much soul-searching we have decided to separate.

‘We have had the deepest respect for one another throughout our relationship and continue to love each other very much, but we have grown apart.

‘This is an amicable process and protecting the well-being of our children remains our top priority, especially during this time of transition.

‘We thank our family, friends, and fans for their kind words of support. And for our children’s sake, we appreciate you respecting our privacy.’

And it is those children I am worried about.   It is so sad to see a couple that looked so much in love grow apart – it makes us look at our own relationships more I think.  I do hope that these two can handle this in a grown up way and that the press really do allow them to sort this out for “the sake of the children” . They have three children together – Henry, six, Johan, five, and Lou, two – as well as Miss Klum’s daughter Leni, seven, from a previous relationship with Italian businessman Flavio Briatore.

My advice to the pair is to put these children first whatever happens. To be  civial and come up with a robust plan of how they can ensure their children still feel safe in the midst of all this.  Talk to the children make sure they know this is not their fault and be as honest with them as they can be.

All my best to this family I can only imagine what they must be going through.